About St. Joachim · Bellingham, Washington
St. Joachim is a historic Catholic mission church located at 4195 Lummi Shore Road on the Lummi Indian Reservation in Bellingham, Washington. Built in 1861 by French Oblate missionary Father Eugene Casimir Chirouse, O.M.I., it is one of the oldest Catholic churches in the Archdiocese of Seattle and serves as the spiritual home of the Lummi Catholic community. The mission is administered as part of the Whatcom Catholic Parish Family 2 under St. Joseph Catholic Church in Ferndale, with Very Rev. Jeffrey H. Moore serving as pastor. St. Joachim is widely known for its deep connection to St. Kateri Tekakwitha — it was the Lummi healing of young Jake Finkbonner in 2006 that became the second miracle credited toward her canonization in 2012 — and every July 14 the parish hosts the archdiocese's principal St. Kateri Tekakwitha feast day celebration with Mass, drumming, song and a Lummi cultural potluck.
- Established
- 1861
- Patron
- St. Joachim (father of the Blessed Virgin Mary)
- Rector
- Very Rev. Jeffrey H. Moore (Pastor of Parish Family 2, which includes St. Joseph Ferndale, St. Joachim Lummi, St. Anne Blaine and others)
- Diocese
- Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Seattle (Parish Family 2 of the Whatcom Catholic deanery, administered from St. Joseph Catholic Church, Ferndale)
Why belong here
St. Joachim welcomes anyone seeking to worship at one of the oldest Catholic churches in the Archdiocese of Seattle, set on the Lummi Reservation in a sacred place where the Lummi people have prayed for more than 160 years. The parish family (administered from St. Joseph, Ferndale) offers Sunday Mass at 8:30 a.m. and Thursday Mass at 5:00 p.m., Sunday confessions, the annual St. Kateri Tekakwitha feast day on July 14 with Lummi drumming and a cultural potluck, and a Jubilee 2025 pilgrimage opportunity to receive a plenary indulgence. Visitors and parishioners are invited into a community that takes seriously its Native American Catholic heritage, its missionary roots under Father Chirouse, and its call to pray for the spiritual renewal of the Lummi people.
Mass times at St. Joachim
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Sunday 8:00 a.m. – 8:15 a.m. (before 8:30 a.m. Mass)
Adoration times
- Available in connection with the Jubilee 2025 pilgrimage; visit and conclude with the Our Father, the Profession of Faith and invocations to Mary.
History of St. Joachim Mission
St. Joachim was founded in 1861 by Father Eugene Casimir Chirouse, O.M.I., a French Oblate missionary based at Tulalip who traveled by canoe to serve the Lummi, Snohomish, Skagit, Swinomish, Muckleshoot and Port Madison tribes. The original chapel was built on the west bank of the Lummi River at what became known as Old Lummi Village, around which a Catholic settlement — and ultimately the heart of the Lummi community — grew up. Early Lummi catechist David Crockett led services when Father Chirouse was absent. After the river shifted course in 1888 and washed out the village, the church was moved to higher ground. In 1961 the parish celebrated its centennial with the outdoor Centennial Shrine that still stands on the property; later Chief Henry Kwina donated the land on which the current church sits, after flooding repeatedly damaged the original site.
- Founded 1861 by Father Eugene Casimir Chirouse, O.M.I.
- Father Chirouse was ordained at Fort Walla Walla, January 2, 1848 — first Catholic ordination in Washington State.
- Original chapel built on the west bank of the Lummi River; river shift in 1888 forced relocation.
- 1961 Centennial Shrine built to mark 100 years.
- Current site sits on land donated by Lummi Chief Henry Kwina.
St. Kateri Tekakwitha Connection
St. Joachim's most famous chapter is its connection to St. Kateri Tekakwitha, the first Native American Catholic saint. In 2006, six-year-old Jake Finkbonner — a Lummi descendant and member of the parish — was stricken with a necrotic strep-A infection after a basketball cut. As his family and the Lummi community prayed, Sister Kateri Mitchell placed a relic of Blessed Kateri on his leg, and the flesh-eating bacteria halted. The Vatican accepted this as the second miracle needed for Kateri's canonization, and she was raised to the altars on October 21, 2012. Since then the parish has hosted an annual St. Kateri Tekakwitha feast day every July 14 — a celebration that, by its 13th year, drew Seattle Auxiliary Bishop Eusebio Elizondo, multiple priests and Lummi drummers for a Mass followed by a cultural potluck.
- Jake Finkbonner (Lummi, St. Joachim parishioner) — 2006 miraculous healing accepted as second miracle for canonization.
- Kateri Tekakwitha canonized October 21, 2012.
- Annual July 14 feast day Mass, procession and potluck hosted by the parish.
- Phase 4 of the Jubilee restoration plans an interior St. Kateri devotional shrine near the altar.
Jubilee 2025 Pilgrimage Site
For the 2025 Holy Year, Archbishop Paul Etienne named St. Joachim one of five Jubilee pilgrimage sites in the Archdiocese of Seattle. Pilgrims attending Mass on Sundays at 8:30 a.m. or Thursdays at 5:00 p.m. can obtain a plenary indulgence by being in a state of grace, receiving sacramental confession and Holy Communion within 20 days, being free from attachment to sin, and praying for the Pope's intentions. Alternatively, pilgrims may spend time in Eucharistic adoration and meditation, concluding with the Our Father, the Profession of Faith, and invocations to Mary.
- Sunday 8:30 a.m. Mass and Thursday 5:00 p.m. Mass qualify for the indulgence.
- Volunteer opportunities: Thursdays 3:00–7:00 p.m. and Sundays 8:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m.
- Contact [email protected] to volunteer.
- Donation appeal: five hours of salary requested to fund restoration.
Restoration & Building Project
In conjunction with the Jubilee, the parish has launched a five-phase restoration campaign totaling $336,000 in potential projects. Recently completed work includes a full roof replacement to prevent further water damage. Upcoming phases address stained-glass window repair, choir-loft structural repair, a possible restoration of the original foot-pump organ, painting the interior in historically accurate colors, an interior St. Kateri shrine, new front doors, repair of the Centennial Shrine, repair of the 'Arrival' carving, walkway improvements, and a new exterior church sign with correct contact information.
- Phase 0 — volunteer deep clean, grounds work, choir-loft restoration.
- Phase 1 (Immediate) — $11,000; roof recovery appeal to raise $73,000 in one-time gifts.
- Phase 2 (Pilgrimage) — $35,000; includes $10,000 Centennial Shrine repair and $5,000 interior St. Kateri shrine.
- Phase 3 (Preserving) — $50,000; exterior siding/flashing/insulation and $75,000 interior structural repairs including stained-glass.
- Phase 4 (Beautifying) — $110,000; new doors, hall roof repair, interior paint, lighting, new church sign, altar/sanctuary updates, Kwina memorial plaque.
- Phase 5 (Reach) — $130,000; walkway and seating improvements, 'The Arrival' carving restoration.
Parish Family & Clergy
St. Joachim is administered as a mission of St. Joseph Catholic Church in Ferndale (5781 Hendrickson Ave., Ferndale, WA 98248). Under the Archdiocese of Seattle's 'Partners in the Gospel' pastoral planning initiative (2024), St. Joachim is grouped into Parish Family 2 alongside St. Joseph Ferndale, St. Anne Mission (Blaine), and other Whatcom County parishes. The pastor of Parish Family 2 is Very Rev. Jeffrey H. Moore, assisted by Parochial Vicars Rev. Tyler Y. Johnson, Rev. Gerardo Rodriguez, C.M.F., and Rev. Stephan Arockia Doss Thomas, H.G.N.
- Pastor — Very Rev. Jeffrey H. Moore
- Parochial Vicars — Rev. Tyler Y. Johnson; Rev. Gerardo Rodriguez, C.M.F.; Rev. Stephan Arockia Doss Thomas, H.G.N.
- Parish office (St. Joseph, Ferndale) — (360) 384-3651; office hours 9 a.m.–1:30 p.m., Mon–Fri.
- Parish Family 2 also includes St. Joseph (Lynden), St. Peter (Deming), Church of the Assumption and Sacred Heart (Bellingham).
Sacraments & Faith Formation
Because St. Joachim is a small mission, sacramental preparation, RCIA, marriage preparation and faith formation are coordinated through the St. Joseph Ferndale parish office. Baptisms, First Communions, Confirmations and Marriages can be registered online through stjosephferndale.org or by calling (360) 384-3651. The parish family runs youth programs including Youth Group, Faith Builders, Shadow Stations, Jesus Day Camp, Storybook Sunday and ADVENTure Camp, and adult retreats and Bible studies appear throughout the year in the bulletin.
- Baptism, First Communion, Confirmation, Marriage — register online at stjosephferndale.org.
- RCIA — coordinated through Parish Family 2.
- Youth programs — Youth Group, Faith Builders, Shadow Stations, Jesus Day Camp, ADVENTure Camp.
- Confessions — Sunday 8:00–8:15 a.m. at St. Joachim; Saturday 3:30–4:00 p.m. at St. Joseph, Ferndale.
Outreach & Community
St. Joachim's community life is rooted in its Lummi heritage. The parish hosts the largest annual St. Kateri Tekakwitha celebration in the archdiocese — a gathering that combines the Mass with Lummi drumming, song and a community potluck (hot dogs and seafood traditionally provided by Lummi fishermen). Parishioners are encouraged to share their 'time and talent' across more than 30 ministries in Parish Family 2, and the Jubilee 2025 appeal has created new volunteer opportunities to welcome pilgrims, restore the church interior and care for the grounds.
- Annual St. Kateri Tekakwitha feast day — July 14 — with Mass, Lummi drummers and potluck.
- Volunteer corps for Jubilee 2025 — Thursdays 3:00–7:00 p.m. and Sundays 8:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m.
- Online giving and 'Five Hours of Salary' donation appeal for restoration.
- Ladies Guilds of Parish Family 2 host coffee and donuts after Sunday Mass at St. Joseph.
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Eugene Casimir Chirouse, O.M.I.1861–1878 (and ongoing visits thereafter)
French Oblate missionary from Tulalip who founded the original chapel of St. Joachim in 1861 on the Lummi River and served the Lummi, Swinomish, Muckleshoot and Port Madison reservations.
- Rev. Francis K. ThumbiListed as Priest Administrator (pre-Partners in the Gospel)
Listed on earlier joinmychurch.com and GCatholic records as priest administrator of the mission.
- Very Rev. Jeffrey H. Moore2024–present
Appointed Pastor of Parish Family 2 under Partners in the Gospel; serves St. Joseph Ferndale together with its missions St. Joachim Lummi and St. Anne Blaine.